Suction cleaner



All@ 19, 1941- H. s. DEMAREEE-rAL 2,253,289

' sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed Dep. i6,|1936 2 sheets-smelt 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY' fee Patented Aug. v19, `1941 I 2,253,289 i sUC'rIoN CLEANER Harry S. Demarca, Chicago, and William D. Sellers, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignors to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 16, 1936, Serial No. 116,076

13 Claims. (Cl. 15e-6) The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to suction cleaner agitators and the actuating means theref for. More speciiically the invention comprises a suction cleaner in which a reciprocating agitator is actuated at high frequency by a rotating power source through theuse of rotating unbalanced masses connected to the agitator and so related to it as to produce reciprocating forces thereon.

The modern suction cleaner preferably embodies both means toY create a iiow of cleaning air and means todisturb, beat, and brush the surface covering being cleaned, which last means render more effective the dirt-removing function ol' the 'cleaning air stream. Rotary agitating means are most common in suction cleaners as a source of rotating power is readily available in the mo- Ator driving the suctionfcreating fan. Certain advantages, however, are present in reciprocating agitators, but the absence of a reciprocating actuating force in the usual suction cleaner, coupled with the undesirable vibration which is ordinarily transmitted to the cleaner casing by reciprocating agitators, has prevented the use of that type of agitator. In the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the presentinvention the agitator is reciprocated and the rotating driving power unit f the suction-creating fan is utilized in its actuation. This is accomplished by the interposition between ythe driving motor and the agitating element per se. of means to convert therotating power of the motor into high frequency reciprocating movement.

It isan object of the present invention to providea new and improved suction cleaner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide new and improved surface-agitating means in a suction cleaner.

It is another object of the invention to provide a reciprocating agitator in a suction cleaner which is actuated by new and improved means which convert rotary movement into reciprocating movement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a suction cleaner an agitator drive comprising rotating unbalanced masses spe ced from 'the pivotal axis of the agitator and mounted to exert pivoting moments thereon.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon vreading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection there'- with the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed: Figure 1 is a side elevation of `a modern suction cleaner embodying the present invention, the nozzle being shown in section upon the line I-f-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the cleaner of Figure 1 with certain parts broken away;

` Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse cross sectionl through the cleaner nozzle upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section through the nozzle upon the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section upon the line 5--5 of Figure 24 and at the power-transmitting countershaft;

Figure 6 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows upon the line 6-6 of Figure 4 and shows the `agitator spring detail;

Figure 7 is a vertical section through the nozzle and agitator upon the line I-l in Figure 3 and discloses the gear connections between the shafts carrying the unbalanced weights and the agitator shaft;

Figure 8 is a section through the nozzle and wheel upon the line 8-8 of Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a section upon the line 9-9 of Figure In the drawings and in Figures 1 and 2, in particular, it is seen that the suction cleaner in#` cludes a nozzle I and a fan chamber 2formed with an. exhaust outlet 3-and which is connected to the nozzle I by an air passageway 4. A motor casing 5 is positioned with its axis parallel to the direction of nozzle I and the motor shaft 8 at the opposite ends of the casing 5 extends into the fan chamber 2, where the suction-creating fan 6 is carried and into a belt channel or passageway l at its opposite end where it is formed as a pulley.

The cleaner casing is movably supported by front wheels 9, 9, which are positioned within Wheel pockets I0, I0, formed immediately in the Vrear of the nozzle I, and by rear wheels II, II

which are providedwith manually operable height-adjusting means indicated generally at I2. A pivoted handle I3 connects to the cleaner l casing and is adapted to receive a propelling force and a dust `bag I4 is removably connected to the exhaust outlet 3 of the fan chamber and is adapted to be supported at its upper end in an A I unshown but common manner by the handle I3.

Within the cleaner nozzle I, and adapted to contact a surface covering undergoing cleaning between the nozzle llps- I5 and IB, is a surface agitator indicated generally by the reference character I'I. The agitator extends substantially the. length of the nozzle and comprises a. U.- shaped body I8which is formed with surfacecentactng rigid beating elements I9, I9 and ca rrics a brush element 20 positioned midway therebetween. The ends of agitator I1 are closed by plates 2|, 2l, best illustrated in Figure 3, which are carried on a'longitudinally extending agitator shaft 22 by means of sealed ball bearings 23, 23. Closure plates 24, 24 seat in sealed relationship with the end plates 2 I, 2l and with the agitator-supporting shaft 22to form sealed enclosures at each end of the agitator.

The agitator-supporting shaft 22 is itself rotatably supported by bearings 26, 26 at each end of the agitator Il. These ball bearings 26 are removably secured to the under side of walls 2l, 21 which extend across the nozzle for the express purpose of supporting the bearings.

n one end of the agitator shaft 22, andspaced from the body o-f agitator Il by a supporting bearing 26, is provided a vpulley 28. the pulley 28 a passageway 29 extends rearwardly from the nozzle mouth, the rear edge of which can be said to be defined by the rear nozzle lip I6. The passageway is closed at its bottom by a closure plate 30 which is formed integrally with the rear lip i6. Passageway 29 extends to a position adjacent the wheel 'pocket lil which is seen to be positioned between that passageway and the forward end of the passageway 'I which houses the pulley carried lby the motor shaft 8, best illustrated in Figure 1.

A countershaft 33 is rotatably mounted, as is shown in Figure 5, in bearings 34 and 35 carried by the walls between the channel 28 and the wheel pocket i0, and between the Wheel pocket lo and the channel 1, respectively. Shaft 33 passes directly through the supporting bearing 36 of the supporting wheel 9. It is also seen in Figure that channel 29, which is open at its forward end to the interior of the nozzle, is sealed from the adjacent wheel housing I0.

A pulley 38 is carried by the countershaft 33 within the belt channel 29, and between it and agitator pulley 28 extends -a power-transmitting belt 39. At the opposite end of the countershaft the reference character 40. This pulley is positioned within the belt channel 1 and between it and the pulley at the end of the motor shaft 8 extends a second belt 4|. From the foregoing it is clear that rotation of the motor shaft results in the rotation of the agitator shaft 22, the intermediate belts, pulleys, and the countershaft, accomplishing this result,

To convert the rotary movement of the agitator shaft 22 into a reciprocating beating movement of the surface-contacting elements I9, i9 and 20, unbalanced masses, indicated in each case by the reference character 45, are vsolidly mounted upon shafts 46, 46 which are themselves rotatably seated within bearings 41, 41 etc. carried by the agitator end plates 2|, 2|. Within the sealed closure formed by the end plate 2| and the adjacent sealing cap 24 the agitator shaft 22 carries a gear 5l) and upon each shaft 46 is secured a smaller gear indicated by the reference character 5| in each case. Each of these gears is pinned `to its supporting shaft and as a result the rotation of the agitator shaft 22 will be transmitted to the shafts 46, 46 which carry the unbalanced masses-45, etc. Y

Reference to Figures 3 and 4'disc1oses that the unbalanced masses 45, 45 carried by the two shafts 46, 46 are so arranged upon their shafts that the urrbalancing effect is spaced 180. This spaced relationship causes the rotating masses upon the shafts to exert moments about the agitator shaft 22 which arecomplementary in that they cooperate to exert a pivoting force upon the agitator body which carries them about the agitator shaft.

The pivotal movement of the agitator body is resiliently limited by a spring 53 which is carried in a shoulder 54 on the underside of the top wall Adjacent a second pulley is provided which is indicated by of the nozzle and which contacts the surface of a flattened recess 55 formed at that point in the top wall of the agitator. f

The operation of the invention is. as follows. Upon the cleaner being placed in operation electric current passes through the operating motor resulting in the rotation of the suction-creating fan G and the driving pulley at the opposite end of moto-r shaft 8. A suction is created within the fan chamber 2 which is effective to draw air into the nozzle, between the lips i5 and I6, and to lift the surface covering undergoing cleaning into contact therewith. The air is drawn from the nozzle through the air passageway 4 and into the fan chamber from which it is exhausted by the exhaust outlet 3 into the dust bag |4,

The rotation of the pulley, carried by the motor shaft 3, causes the countershaft 33 to be rotated -through its connection thereto by the belt 4| and pulley 40. Countershaft 33 is itself connected, at its opposite end, by a belt 39 to the rotatable agitator shaft 22. Agitator shaft 22 is rotated and causes the gear 50 secured thereto to rotate with it.

The agitator il is mounted for independent rotation upon the agitator shaft but upon the rotation of the latter, the -shafts 46, 46, which carry the unbalanced masses, are rotated by gears 5|, 5| meshing with the central gear 50 carried by the agitator shaft. The individual shafts 46, 46 are mounted for independent rotation in the end plates of the agitator but are denitely connected for synchronous rotation through their mutual geared relationship to the agitator shaft 22. The rotation of the shafts 46, 46 causes the unbalanced masses 45, 45 which are carried by each of the shafts, to rotate and at high speed. As these unbalanced masses v rotate, they tend to pull the shaft 46 from its supporting bearings and in the direction of unbalance, -which unbalance continuously moves around the circumference of the shaft. lAs each of the shafts 46, 46 is rotatable lbut not displaceable within its supporting end plates all components of forces of the unbalanced masses save only those which tend to cause rotation of the agitator body about its'supporting shaft 22 are absorbed and reduced by mutual opposition. Stated differently, the components of forces exerted by the unbalanced masses 45 etc. can be divided into those which are normal to the pivotal shaft 22, and those which are perpendicular to those forces, that is, tangential to a circle with shaft 22 as its center, As the center of masses of the individual unbalanced masses 45 are not spaced a very great distance from their individual centers of rotation it is clear that the components of forces exerted by the unbalanced masses which are directed toward the shaft 22 will substantially cancel While those which tend to produce rotation will be additive.

As the result of 'the creation of unbalanced forces by the rotation of the unbalanced masses 45, 45 the agitator is caused to pivot at high frequency and in alternate directions about the shaft 22 as an axis. The extent of movement is relatively small and is further limited by the contacting spring 53 which contacts the top of the agitator. Withl the parts properly designed and with the speed ofthe rotating `unbalanced masses being such that they tend to vibrate the agitator at its critical point of vibration, a highly satisfactory reciprocating agitator is produced with reciprocating beating exerted upon the contacted surface covering by the beating elements I9, I9 and with brush element 20 brushing back and forth across the covering,

We claim:v v

l. In a suction cleaning apparatusincluding a body portion, `a rotating source of power and a pivoted' agitating element mounted on said vbody portion, an unbalanced mass rotatable about an axis parallel to the pivotal axis of said agitating `an axis which is parallel to and spaced from the pivotal axis of said agitator, and means actuated by said power source to rotate said unbalanced mass to set up pivoting forces on said agitator.

3. In a suction cleaning apparatus including a body portion, a rotating source of power and a surface-contacting agitator mounted on said body portion' for reciprocation about a definite axis, an unbalanced mass carried by said agitator, movable therewith, and mounted for rotation about an axis spaced from the axis of reciprocation of said element, and means actuated by said power source to rotate said mass to set up pivoting forces on said element.

4. Infa suction cleaning apparatus including a body portion, an electric driving motor and an agitator mounted on said body portion for re-- ciprocation about an axis, a rotatable unbalanced mass, means supporting said mass for movement about said axis and movable therewith, means connecting said mass to said motor to rotate the former, said mass and its supporting means being movable by the forces set up by said mass, and means connecting said Amass-supporting means to said agitator to actuate the latter upon `movement of the former.

5. In a suction cleaning apparatus including a` bodyportion,4 a rotating source of power and an agitating element mounted on said body portiony unbalanced masses rotatable about spaced parallel axes and jointly movable about a common axis positioned between said axes, the unbalance of the mass upon one axis being at all times diametrically opposite to the unbalance of the mass upon the said spaced parallel axes to provide additive pivoting lmoments about said common axis upon the rotation of said masses,` means mounting said agitating element for move-v ment about said-common axis with said masses, and means actuated by said source of power to rotate said masses.

, y 6. In a suction cleaningapparatus including a body portion, a rotating source of power and an agitating element mounted on said body portion, a pair of unbalanced masses rotatable about spaced parallel-axes and jointly movable about a common axis spaced equidis'tant between Said axes and extended parallel thereto, the unbalance of each mass relative to its axis being at all times diametrically opposed to the relationshipof the other mass to its axis so as to provide additive pivoting moments upon4 being rotated, means mounting said agitating element for movement about the common axiswith said masses, and means driven by said power source to rotate said masses synchronously.

7. In a suction cleaner, a driving motor including a rotor, an agitator, a rotatable shaft onV which said agitator is movably mounted, powertransmitting means connecting said shaft to said rotor, an unbalanced mass carried by said agi' tator and rotatable about an axis spaced from said shaft, and means to rotate said mass upon the rotation of said shaft to cause said mass to exert reversing pivoting forces on said agitator. 8. In a suction cleaner, a body, a driving motor including a rotor, a wheel movably supporting' said body, an agitator with its axis spaced from the axis of rotation of said wheel and including a rotating part, and means to convey a rotational force from said rotor to said rotating part including a countershaft extended through said wheel which is independently rotatable relative there- 9. In a suction cleaner, a body, a driving motor rincluding a rotor, an agitator mounted on said body and including a rotatable part, a bodysupporting wheel positioned between said rotor' and said agitator, a rotatable countershaft extended through and upon both sides of said wheel, said wheel being rotatable independently thereof, and power-transmitting means connecting said countershaft at one side of said wheel with said rotor and upon the other side of said wheel with said agitator".

10. In a suction cleaner, a body, a driving motor including a rotor, a surfaceagitator, a supporting shaft for said agitator rotatably mounted on said body and on which said agitator is mounted for independent arcuate movement, an unbalanced mass, a shaft mounting said mass on said agitator for rotation about an axis parallel to` said supporting shaft, gears on said agitator supporting shaft and on said mass supporting shaft to rotate the latter upon rotation of the former, and means connecting said agitator shaft porting shaft are cumulative.

-movement on said body portion and having a critical period with relation to its pivotal axis,

rotatable means to vibrate said agitator, andl means to rotate said rotatable meansat a speed tol set up vibrating forces substantially in syn-` chronism with the critical period of said agitator.

13. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle for a dirtladen air stream, a reciprocating agitator in said nozzle, a power-transmitting `shaft movably,

mountingv said agitator, a rotatable unbalanced mass supported upon said shaft and movable with said agitator, power-transmitting means connecting said mass to said shaft to rotate the former upon rotation of the latter, and means sealing from the dirt-laden air stream through said nozzle the mass and the power-transmitting means.

\ HARRY s. DEMAREE.

WILLIAM n. SELLERS. 

